


mercy

by mangobilorian



Series: the danger of cuteness [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, anakin is stressed, child! Mace, sith intervention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25809559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangobilorian/pseuds/mangobilorian
Summary: “You’re like five years old! Besides, I’m the general here, and we’re on a military campaign, which means I outrank you.” Mace crosses his arms, lips curling into a sneer unfit for his pudgy face.“I’m nine, Skywalker. How can you lead an army if you can’t even tell someone’s age?”Or: Mace becomes a perfect, angelic child, and Anakin considers showing his adept Force choking abilities.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Mace Windu
Series: the danger of cuteness [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817743
Comments: 7
Kudos: 146





	mercy

Anakin has a headache. A pretty annoying, glaring headache. Of course, the entire war has been a pain in the ass along with the various other complications in his life. Padmé is the only one who can really provide him comfort and peace. As much as he loves Ahsoka and Obi-Wan (well “love” because Jedi shouldn’t have attachments, and he’ll never admit to loving his former master anyway), they contribute a bit too much to his perpetual headache. 

Mace Windu also adds to it. Ugh. Mace has been on Anakin’s case for _years._ He can’t deny that the Jedi Master is a great warrior and a formidable Jedi. He’s the Order’s champion, after all. But why did he have to pick on Anakin all the time? He’s always suspicious that Anakin will Fall or something when Mace is the one who made _Vaapad._ Like come on, Mace walks the line of Light and Dark every kriffing day, and he _still_ watches Anakin like a mother bantha. 

As Generals and fellow Jedi, Anakin had to be cordial with Mace. They worked together on Ryloth and other campaigns, and Obi-Wan thought that extended contact with Mace would _maybe_ make Anakin like the Master more. He was wrong. The sheer presence of Mace Windu makes Anakin want to whine and break things and stomp his feet and-

“Are you all right there, General?” Anakin glances at his captain. Rex, forever vigilant and concerned, stands by the flap of the tent. Anakin gives him a small smile. 

“I’m fine.” Rex shoots him an incredulous look. Before he can open his mouth, Anakin butts in. “I really am. See,” he gestures to his body, “all good here.” Rex shakes his head. 

“It’s not that, sir. We know how you… feel about General Windu. Sure, he’s a strict Jedi, and he did behead our template. But I trust Ponds, and he likes him.” Anakin sighs. Were his feelings towards Mace _that_ obvious? He always acted nice around Mace even if the other man sometimes (oftentimes) shot him looks of mild disappointment or wariness. 

“I just don’t see how his plan will work. The whole thing hinges on Dooku coming back to this planet for the trap to spring. Dooku’s too smart for that. We should just bring the Sith artifacts back to the Temple and be done with it all,” he huffs, crossing his arms. He doesn’t pout. Anakin will _never_ pout. Well… he pouts when he asks Padmé for cuddles, but he’ll never ever admit to it. 

“General, I’m not going to pretend I know about Sith and Jedi stuff. What I do know is that you need rest. You have a headache.”

“Come _on,_ ” Anakin whines. Rex holds a hand out. 

“Sleep. Unless you want me to drag Kix in here and force you to sleep?” At the mention of the medic, Anakin shakes his head vehemently. Force knows the lengths Kix will go to make him rest. He might actually drug Anakin or restrict his breathing to render him unconscious. With a smile and a salute, Rex leaves the tent. 

Anakin slumps on the bed. He’s tired. He’s been tired for _years_ , even before this damned war. He just wants to go back to Coruscant and hang out at his wife’s apartment. Listen to her stories about the other Senators and her concerns for environmental crises. He’ll hold her close and just lay there. Anakin would do anything for one night alone with Padmé. Anything at all. 

With that thought, sleep claims him, and Anakin dreams of his wife. 

* * *

The Force feels wrong. Anakin jolts out of bed, disturbed. For a brief second, the _air_ twists. The steady, formidable energy that usually hugs the galaxy convulses. Something tears, and Anakin has to fight the urge to gag. He’s tempted to think the Dark side is at play, but… the feeling isn’t necessarily bad or good which makes Anakin even more wary. 

It’s _wrong_ but not bad. Thankfully, it doesn’t last long, and the Force returns to normal. Anakin relaxes.

He takes the time to settle his breathing and listen to the sounds of wildlife outside. Some animals skitter about and the night watch patrols the grounds. Everything seems fine. Maybe the change in the Force was just his imagination. Anakin hopes so. It’s creepy enough that he found Sith artifacts on a planet Dooku visited. 

Just as Anakin closes his eyes, he hears a shuffle of feet, the quiet crunch of footsteps stopping at the entrance of his tent. He stiffens at the sound, feeling for his lightsaber, and Anakin reaches out to feel Mace’s signature. 

He releases a breath. Of course Mace would bother Anakin in the middle of the night. Maybe he also felt the odd Force change? When the tent flap opens, Anakin braces himself for Mace’s hard gaze. 

Except it’s not Mace that enters. Instead a young boy walks into the tent. Anakin scurries to his feet. What would a human boy be doing on an uninhabited planet? The boy doesn’t look as scared as Anakin feels, though, just curious. 

“Who are you?” He asks slowly, trying to not spook the kid. Anakin ignites a lamp with the Force and, as the room plunges into light, his chest tenses. He’s known Mace for a decade or so. He’s seen the Master’s face at the Temple, on the battlefield, even in his nightmares. With a growing sense of dread, Anakin waits for the kid’s reply.

“Mace,” the boy says shyly. Karking hells. Not this, please not this. Of all the times, of all the _people_. Anakin has dealt with Ahsoka, and she’s a kriffing teenager! But a child? A Mace Windu child?! One with a full head of hair?!

“Hi, Master,” Anakin says, cringing. “Uh, you look pretty young.” Young Mace peers at Anakin with confused brows. 

“I’m not a Master. Who are _you_?” Anakin curses internally. Great. There’s a mini Mace Windu in his tent on a deserted, possibly Sith planet who doesn’t remember the past few decades of his life. Fuck.

“Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker,” he says with as much confidence as he can muster. Maybe his title will convince Mace to listen to him? “Why are you here uh… kid?” 

“I woke up scared, and you felt safe.” His face, still round with baby fat, remains passive, albeit tired. Anakin never thought Mace would call him safe, but- oh well. 

He scrambles for a response. Mace grew up in the Temple, so he’d be well versed in the teachings, right? “Jedi aren’t supposed to feel fear, young one.” Mace scowls, and Anakin does a double-take. It seems that no matter how old Mace is or how much hair he has, his scowl will always be the same. Anakin’s briefly reminded of the day before when Mace scowled at Anakin’s tardiness. He shudders at the memory. 

“Jedi can feel emotions. Then they release it into the Force,” he spouts, crossing his arms confidently. Mace stares at him for a few beats, and Anakin realizes that the kid is probably waiting for him to say something. Even now, in the face of small Mace, Anakin feels a little intimidated.

“You said I felt safe?” Mace nods. 

“Yeah. The Force feels warm around you. And glowy.” Right…. The day Mace feels comfortable around Anakin would be the day Tatooine freezes over. A brief thought passes through his head, and Anakin tenses. 

What if Mace never goes back to normal? He looks at the child again, at his bright eyes and small build. What would the Jedi Order do if their beloved champion just… became a kid again? What would Anakin do? Force, he can’t deal with Mace’s troops and his own as well as secure the planet, _and_ accommodate a kid. 

He knows it’s not true, but Anakin considers the idea that Mace did this on purpose. The whole switch is just another way for Mace to torture Anakin. To test the possibility of him succumbing to his emotions. He swallows it down. Anakin is the Chosen One. He can do anything. He can especially do this. Padmé says she wants kids, so Anakin will take this as a… practice round of sorts. Yeah, a trial run sounds doable. Especially since Anakin can (hopefully) return Mace back to normal or send him to the Temple for good. 

“It’s late, kid. You should go back to your tent and sleep,” he tries to say warmly. It’s probably not the best idea to leave a kid alone, but he wants him gone. He also wants privacy, so he can scream into a pillow. Mace frowns. 

“I’m sleeping here,” Anakin sighs, relieved the kid agreed to, wait- what?!

Anakin is really, _really_ on the verge of panicking. He will not allow Mace Windu to sleep in his bed. 

“If you haven’t noticed, there’s only room for one.”

“You called me Master,” Mace squints, “which means I outrank you. So I can sleep here, and you can’t say anything about it, Knight Skywalker.” Anakin’s mouth actually drops. Did… did Mace just pull _rank_? The audacity! At this point, it doesn’t even matter if Mace is a kid, Anakin will put him in his place. 

“You’re like five years old! Besides, I’m the general here, and we’re on a military campaign, which means _I_ outrank _you_.” Mace crosses his arms, lips curling into a sneer unfit for his pudgy face.

“I’m nine, Skywalker. How can you lead an army if you can’t even tell someone’s age?” Anakin sputters for a reply, opening his mouth only to be stopped by Mace’s outstretched palm and a gentle but noticeable Force push to his chest. 

Mace edges closer to the bed then hops on top, wrapping his arms around himself and glancing around the room. Then he spreads his entire body on the bed, leaving no space for Anakin. When Anakin starts to complain, Mace glares as harshly as the twin suns on Tatooine and brings the blanket to his chin, shutting his eyes. 

“Knight Skywalker, may you please shut the light?” Anakin scowls, but the kid can’t see him. He doesn’t want to turn the lamp off out of spite.

“You’re in my spot.” 

“Sleep on the floor.” Anakin restrains himself from choking the kid. Honestly, he’s showing a great deal of patience right now. 

With gritted teeth, he turns off the light with a wave of his hand, and settles on to the floor. A moment later, a pillow smacks him on the face. Mace mutters a quick “sorry” and Anakin just sighs. This time, when he sleeps, he dreams of Padmé rescuing him from a demonic, child Mace. 

* * *

“General? General Skywalker!” A hurried, frantic voice calls from outside Anakin’s tent. He thinks it’s Rex at first, but after a few seconds, he knows it’s not. Groaning, Anakin rubs his eyes. His back is stiff, and there’s an annoying crick in his neck. Memories of last night’s weird event flash through his head. Seems like dreaming of his wife didn’t make all his problems go away like he hoped. He sits up and watches Ponds enter the tent. 

“I can’t find General Windu, sir. No one has seen him in hours. Do you know…,” Ponds’ voice trails off, and Anakin watches the clone commander’s unhelmeted face descend from worry to confusion. “Why is there a child in your bed, sir?” Ponds looks partially scandalized. It would be funny if the situation didn’t involve Anakin. 

“Commander Ponds, meet Mace Windu,” Anakin says just as Mace’s eyes open. The kid looks dazed for a bit then sits up, frowning. 

“Hi,” Mace says with a little wave and a deceptive smile. Ponds looks like he’s going to faint, and Anakin wonders about sending for Kix. 

“I don’t understand, sir. Is that… _child_ my General now?” Anakin sighs. 

“I don’t really know what happened either. I woke up to him coming to my tent and kicking me out of my own bed,” he says, pouting ( _frowning_ , not pouting). 

“I’m a general?” Mace asks. His eyes widen comically. “I thought you were joking last night to get me out your bed. Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers, not generals,” he says, furrowing his brows. 

“Sorry, sir, but the Jedi act as commanders and generals in the Great Army of the Republic,” Ponds says. He turns to Anakin and whispers, “Is this real? Am I dreaming?” Anakin shakes his head in sympathy. Ponds took the news better than Anakin did, but that might be due to Ponds’s inherent ability to be calm in chaotic situations. He also _knows_ Mace better than any other clone, so he probably knows how to deal with Mace's specific brand of Jedi shenanigans. 

“I’d ask for an explanation, but I’ll figure it out later.” Mace declares. “For now, I’ll contact Master Yoda.” 

“No, you’re not.” Anakin shudders at having to see the Grandmaster of the Order. If Yoda finds out, the rest of the council finds out which means Obi-Wan will tease Anakin about this for the rest of his life. Mace scowls at Anakin, and he gulps at the cold anger emanating from the child. Kriff, even as a kid, Mace hovers quite closely to the Dark side. 

At his general’s expression, Ponds relaxes slightly. _I guess everyone just knows Mace by his scowl_ , Anakin thinks. 

“We’ll discuss this later,” Mace says, waving his hand dismissively, and Anakin wonders just how mature—and bratty— the kid is. For someone who’s nine, Mace acts like a middle-aged man (which he is, but whatever).

“Fine. Ponds, any update on the planet?” Ponds nods, relieved to give a briefing. It’s way too early for any sort of tangible change regarding the planetary takeover, but Ponds is willing to describe everything in detail anyway. He can do military strategy but not weird Jedi Force things that turn his general into a kriffing _child_!

Mace interrupts Ponds towards the end of his briefing and begins asking questions. He’s smart enough to get the gist, but he needs large swathes of details about the war for context. Ponds and Anakin sigh simultaneously. How can they explain a whole galactic war to a child who fought in its first battle? After a brief summary on Ponds’s end— leaving out the part where Mace beheads Pond’s genetic template— Mace seems placated enough to accept the situation. 

“So why can’t we let the Separatists just separate?” Mace shrugs as if it’s the easiest solution. Oh the wonder of a child’s mind. 

“The Separatists are led by Sith Lord Count Dooku. They’re evil,” Anakin sounds out slowly. Mace frowns. 

“Sith don’t exist anymore.” Right… this Mace wouldn’t know that Obi-Wan killed Maul a decade prior. This Mace wasn’t _alive_ a decade ago. Anakin shakes his head. 

“Sith are very much alive. And uh…,” he debates telling Mace the truth of the situation but what good would it really do? He’s just a kid. Anakin remembers himself as a child, one who was similar in age to Mace right now. Oh the irony.

Actually, the whole age reversal suddenly hits Anakin like a mother nexu protecting her kids. Mace is the same age Anakin was when Qui-Gon first found him. Mace is _the same age_ as Anakin was. 

And while Anakin can look at Mace Windu and think of all the cold, harsh, indifferent words he’s said to Anakin, he can’t bring it upon himself to treat a child, even if it’s Mace, like that. Yes, child Mace is blunt and rude. Child Mace also pulled rank on Anakin and kicked him off his own bed. But he could always teach Mace to not be such a dick and to maybe respect the fact that attachments are a real thing. Maybe he can convince Mace that marriage is fine so when he reverts back to an adult, he won’t be mad that Anakin is married to Padmé…? 

Regardless of his influence on young Mace, at least Anakin got some sort of experience with a difficult child. When he and Padmé have kids (after he’s probably left the Order), he knows how to deal with annoying, heartless children. Of course, his own offspring will _never_ be like Mace. Ever. 

Maybe. 

“Are you okay? There’s lots of cracks around you,” Mace says solemnly. Anakin notices Ponds shuffle his feet, an odd look on his face. After Anakin waves a hand, Ponds salutes then exits the tent.

“What do you mean by that?” Mace seems genuinely concerned, and his eyes track things around Anakin. He wonders what the kid sees. Aside from cracks of course. There’s a look of genuine vulnerability there, a stark contrast to the cold child or even the stoic adult. It gives Anakin whiplash. Just seconds before, he thought that Mace was heartless. 

Mace shrugs. “I see them sometimes. The cracks. Sometimes they’re the weaknesses in things. Other times they’re decisions people can make that have a big impact. That’s what Master Yoda tells me. There’s so many around you, though.” Anakin stiffens. Kriffing hells. He knew Mace could see shatterpoints, but he never knew what it meant. If kid Mace could see them around Anakin, it had to be some sort of natural power then? One that he didn’t need to train? 

“Is that bad?” Mace shakes his head. 

“Not really. Just means that you might do lots of things that could be good _or_ bad. Or nothing at all. I don’t know. I’ve only met you,” Mace says, jumping off the cot and landing on his feet. He hobbles over to some water Anakin left on a table and sips it carefully. 

“I hope you choose to do the good things,” he says, and Anakin thinks he sees a little fear in Mace’s eyes. It’s washed away a moment later. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Why _Anakin_ ? He always thought Mace had a certain bias for him because he was brought in so old but- if child Mace is worried, then there might be something actually _wrong_ with Anakin. 

Mace turns to him and pauses. “I hope everyone chooses the good things,” he says firmly then finishes all of Anakin’s water. Anakin breathes out. 

So he had a lot of shatterpoints. No wonder Mace looks at him weirdly; he probably saw all the ways Anakin would go rogue. Especially since he advised Anakin to “choose the good things” instead of the bad. Has Mace always been this perceptive since he was a kid? 

Mace walks towards the holo transmitter nestled in the middle of the tent and clicks some buttons while Anakin’s distracted in his thoughts. Before Anakin can stop him, Mace pulls up a direct transmission. To Yoda. Kriff. Anakin buries his face in his hands.

“Master Yoda?” Mace’s small, younger voice calls out. From between his fingers, Anakin can spot the little goblin perched on a chair. 

“Younger now, you seem. Turn out differently, things did?” Mace nods seriously, and Anakin can briefly see the image of an older Mace. Yeah, this is the same dude alright. The previous look of vulnerability is gone, now replaced by solemn respect. Mace never looked at Anakin like that. Granted, Yoda is the head of the Order. 

“Yes, Master. I’m with Knight Anakin Skywalker. Will anyone come to pick us up?” 

“Not sure, I am. Stretched thin, our troops are. Fight with Skywalker, you must.” Anakin and Mace gasp at the same time. 

“Wait, wait, wait. He’s a _kid_ , Master Yoda! No way in karking hells am I bringing him to the field,” Anakin argues. The sheer thought of placing any child in a military campaign (albeit one in an uninhabited planet with some droids) makes Anakin shudder. 

“No battles, there are. Simple invasion, it is. Many droids, there aren’t. Safe for an Initiate, this mission is,” Yoda says, and Anakin has to stop an incredulous snort from escaping. 

“Thank you for the assignment, Master,” Mace says, bowing. The goblin cackles. 

“For now, goodbye I’ll say. Strong with Force, young Mace is. With you all, may the Force be. Yes, hmmm.” Before Anakin can retort, the green demon shuts off the comm. 

“He doesn’t even have his lightsaber,” he mutters to himself. 

“Yes, I do,” pipes Mace who proceeds to take the weapon out. It’s much too large for his hands, and he fiddles around. Anakin watches, confused and a little horrified. Why can’t he just press the button? Mace closes his eyes and a second later, a bright beam of purple erupts from the blade, almost stabbing Anakin in the process. He curses but dodges in time, and Mace gives him a sheepish look. 

“There’s no button, so I had to ignite it with the Force,” Mace says with a little smile. Great, the kid is now armed. And the kid almost stabbed Anakin through the gut. Anakin wants to declare the kid as a threat to safety and then lock him up forever. 

Footsteps sound from outside and Rex enters the tent along with Kix. They stare openmouthed, and Mace stares back. Smiling, the kid retracts his lightsaber, and the clones relax a little bit. Ponds seems to have told Rex the situation, and Kix is here in case they’re all having one big hallucination (which Anakin still hopes it is). 

“Rex, Kix, meet Mace Windu.” Mace gives a little smile. 

“What?!” They say at the same time. Anakin chuckles. At least he’s not the only one who freaked out, and the clones had been forewarned. 

“Sir, this isn’t possible,” Rex sounds out. 

“Considering we’re all seeing him, I don’t think he’s a hallucination, “ Kix says wryly. _Well there goes that hope_. “But I’ll do a check-up on him, just in case.” He approaches Mace who backs away with suspicious eyes. 

“You’re not coming near me. As general, I command you to stay away,” Mace says, a hint of a pout on his lips. _Is 'lil Mace scared of a medic?_ Anakin thinks. _Poor baby_. On the inside, Anakin cackles. He’ll totally make fun of him for this when Mace goes back to normal. _If_ he goes back to normal. 

“Sorry, sir. As the medic, I outrank everyone in a medical emergency.” Mace retreats, looking around, assessing the people watching him. With a huff, he stills and allows Kix to run a basic vitals test. Rex remains standing, still open-mouthed and shocked. 

“Is this really happening, sir?” He whispers to Anakin who nods seriously. 

“Unfortunately.” 

“What will we tell the men?” Anakin really doesn’t know. That’s a big issue he’s been avoiding. “If anything, I know Waxer and Boil from the 212th like kids. They’d love to take care of Mace.” 

“Absolutely not. Obi-Wan will never know this happened,” Anakin crosses his arms. He has too much pride to let his former master find out about this affair. “Actually, we won’t tell the rest of the men what happened. Clones gossip too much.” 

Rex shakes his head, chuckling, and pats Anakin on the shoulder. They both watch as Kix finishes up his check-up, leaving Mace scowling at the medic. 

“Now that that’s done, I want waffles.” The troopers and Anakin look at each other for a brief moment. 

“Sir, we don’t have waffles on base,” Rex says. “Just ration bars. We hunt the local animals for food, but that’s it.” Mace huffs, brows creasing. 

“Fine then. I’ll hunt for my own breakfast.” Before anyone can stop him, Mace struts out, lightsaber in hand. Surprised voices ring from outside and a frantic pounding of boots shuffle into chaos. Kriff. Anakin is screwed.

**Author's Note:**

> Mace needs more love and Anakin needs some serious therapy cuz he’s so toxic. But i still love him.
> 
> If you wanna talk, check out my tumblr @ https://mangobilorian.tumblr.com/


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